Using Freely Available RDA Resources to Provide In-House Training to a Medium-Sized Academic Library

Recent surveys have indicated that training available for the new cataloging standard, Resource Description and Access (RDA), has been slow to reach many academic institutions, particularly small- and medium-sized libraries. These surveys have shown that smaller institutions have reported being particularly behind in transitioning to RDA due to lack of training and also indicate that in-house training, while preferred by a large population of catalogers and metadata specialists, is typically not available due to constraints on staffing, cost, and time. By discussing a case study of in-house RDA training provided at Oakland University, this paper addresses RDA training needs in small- to medium-sized academic institutions and the potential to provide the personalized, in-person training desired by the professional community. Training was offered in a hybrid online and in-person environment to the entire library faculty and staff for a 6-week period, resulting in the transition to RDA shortly after the official Library of Congress adoption date of March 31, 2013.